MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/19 December) — Tropical Depression Onyok which made landfall in Davao Oriental at 10:30 p.m. weakened into a low pressure area (LPA), but continuous rains rendered some roads impassable and caused water levels of rivers to rise.
Lourdes Ampildon, a second year Development Communication student of Bukidnon State University was set to go home to Kalabugao, Impasug-ong for the Christmas break on Friday afternoon but her parents would not allow her because heavy rains rendered the roads impassable even for habal-habal (motorcycles for hire).
She was stranded in Impasug-ong town proper for one more day because of the rains brought by Onyok.
Ampildon’s classmate, Cristy Flor, who lives near Malaybalay’s Sawaga River, said the water level did not rise much but the rains worsened the road condition of Natid-asan, Purok 10, Brgy. Casisang, Malaybalay City. She said water filled potholes of their dirt road making mobility to and from downtown Malaybalay even more difficult.
She said the traditional misa de gallo pushed through in the village although churchgoers drenched by rain on the way home.
The Bukidnon Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office reported that water levels in key rivers here rose but did not overflow, Ma. Leah Barquez, PDRRMO focal person, said.
Barquez said Onyok left Bukidnon with minimal damage.
As of 2:30 p.m. Saturday, the PPDRRMO reported only one incident: a landslide in Sitio Alas-as, Nacabuklad, San Fernando, Bukidnon, where a portion — about 20 meters of the municipal road — was covered with mud after three hours of heavy rainfall. No one was hurt but the incident isolated two barangays, Nacabuklad and Tugop, both of San Fernando town with a total of 687 households.
Rou Francis Piscos, municipal disaster risk reduction and management officer of San Fernando told DXBU 104.5 FM Saturday afternoon that the road remained impassable for four-wheel vehicles because the operator of the town’s heavy equipment had yet to clear the debris. Piscos stressed that no one was hurt in the landslide incident.
He added that five residents of Brgy. Tugop were stranded in a portion of the village along the Pulangi River. Tugop is the village where Tigua River empties into the Pulangi.
He noted that while Onyok slowed down, the rains continued to pour and raised the water levels of both rivers.
Based on the Department of Science and Technology’s Project Noah, water level in Lumbayao Bridge downstream of Pulangi River in nearby Valencia City was recorded at 2.79 meters around 2 p.m. Saturday, up by around two meters compared to the level a day ago at 0.97 meters.
Although this did not cause flooding, this water level is higher than what was recorded in the wake of tropical storm Seniang on December 29, 2014. Then, the water level rose from 1.22 meters on December 28 to day to 2.35 meters the next day. (Walter I. Balane / MindaNews is also acting station manager of Bukidnon State University-DXBU 104.5 FM)